Spring is here and there are many commercial developements in Biloxi, Gulfport and Ocean Springs.Lets start with the Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge now has lights at night and currently has 1 lane in each direction open and its 35mph, all due to change very shortly with the opening of all lanes. MDOT has highway 90 down to one lane from Biloxi to Gulfport making driving a slow going operation. MDOT is repaving 90 to elevated it and all the curbs must be redone at the same time. Ok that gives everyone an opportunity to see what kind of building is going on. Margaritaville - a partnership between Harrahs and Jimmy Buffet, has a webcam on their site that allows everyone to follow the progress and there is plenty of it with solid concrete foundations now visable coming out of the ground as Yates construction closes in on their 2010 conpletition date. Across the street is the George Ohr museum that is beautiful. www.georgeohr.org. "The symbolic rebuilding of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, represented by the shells of the Frank Gehry-designed George Ohr Pavilion-popularly known as the "Ohr Pods"-was celebrated December 1 with a ceremony attended by upwards of 600 people, including guests from the state and national level. The museum is expected to open in phases over the next few years ."Designed by Frank Gehry, it reminds me of a large tulip flower . It provides handicap accessibility to gaze inside these amazing silver 2 story "pods". Across the street on the gulf side is the Biloxi schooner marina that houses 2 magnificient 40 foot wooden sailboats that are available for charter or walk on tours. Next up is the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino which is a favorite of "the locals" with their brand of music for instance George Thorogood and Bret Michaels this week. At the Beau Rivage along with their "O" shows, the Moody Blues played last Saturday night to a sold out show. There are fabulous accomodations, restaurants and casino life buzzing in the downtown Biloxi area. New retail & commercial buildings &businesses are a strong indicator in Biloxi and d'Iberville by interstate 10. New shopping centers and "strip malls" are opening which is spuring housing developements and alot of new mega apartments complexes all along the Harrison and Jackson county line.

Lets not forget Ocean Springs which is listed by numerous magazines and websites as one of the best top 100 small towns to live in in the United States. Founded in 1699 by the French explorer Pierre d'Iberville, it hosts many galleries, boutiques and restaurants including a smoke free sports bar in the downtown area. Many visitors simply park their cars and stroll along the tree-lined shopping areas. It is also home to the top 25 festivals in the country-The Peter Anderson Festival now in its 26th year; many local artists showcase their wares and pottery can be found during this festival held the first weekend of November.

The residential market continues to inch along however with all the media sensationalism and bad news coming from the financial gurus that bang investors and homeowners over the head with their continual "gloom and doom" speeches. Gas prices are relatively cheap(?) at $3.15 a gallon compared to other markets. The casino industry is not showing any signs that people are willing to cut back on their visits for entertainment. Mostly being a drive-in market, people are just budgeting higher gas prices into their budgets and might cut their trips a day or two shorter.

Our insurance situation is getting better with over $20 million infused into the wind & hail fund. There are a number of private insurance companies offering insurance south of I-10 at a reasonable price too. Companies like ALLSTATE,NATIONWIDE,FARM BUREAU AND WELLS FARGO MORTGAGE. There may be some restrictions due to the age of the house and how close to water the property is.

So its not all that bad here, and yes there are many developers looking to buy property and there is a positive spin that the GO ZONE OPPORTUNITY ACT will be extended yet again, in 3 coastal counties, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson, it is due to expire on December 31, 2010. Lots of opportunities with the low interest rates, and now is the best time to buy, its only going to increase in value.

www.cityofbiloxi.org

www.cityofoceansprings.org

People ask me all the time, "How are you?" "Where are you living now", its the same scenario over and over, with recovery happening here on the Gulf coast and the anniversary of the worse natural disaster in the United States just around the corner, I am happy to say..."I have a home now", I am no longer "homeless", although I was never homeless, I was misplaced for two years. I am a survivor, not a victim of Hurricane Katrina. I was one of the fortunate ones, I had a place to live, albeit small, but a place and a roof over my head that was not a formaldehyde laden FEMA trailer, I did not have to leave this area, that would have really broke my heart as this area is very near and dear to me and one I am proud to call home with my children raised here in the wonderful public schools. I was "slabbed" which is a term that only people that have truly lost their homes know what I mean, the wind/water just took everything we worked so long and hard for in 6 hours and it is now in the Gulf of Mexico known as "Crosby's fishing reef". I still cannot begin to tell anyone the thoughts immediately following the sight that used to be our neighborhood, it was a war zone. We stood in shock, for a very long time, me in my shrimp boots, (one of only 2 pair of shoes that I owned that day). The silence was only broken by my son's anguished sound of alarm realizing that his pet boa constrictor was "freed" from his cage, he raised "ELVIS" since he was 5. Then I began to hear the cries of my neighbors who made it down a muddy road that used to be our street looking for their houses.... my Husband picked up an abandoned (everything you looked at was abandoned) golf club and started rooting through piles of debris that used to be our house, I knew it was because I could see little matchstick pieces of wood and peach stucco everywhere. We found our mailbox, a piece of outdoor furniture and my coffeetable days later about 3 blocks from where we lived. Sure if we looked close enough to the wreckage of our lives, we could make out some Christmas items here, barbeque grill there, maybe some broken dishes, nothing usable. I picked up an empty tupperware container and started putting pictures in it, some ours, most somebody's, but they were everywhere. I didn't know what else to do, people would stop by talking with us, I can't remember anything that was said, mostly I shook my head.

Part two later..........................................................

Looking over all the media this week in magazines, newspapers and TV, there is one resounding message that's clear................Mississippi Gulf Coast is on its way back. Sure it's going to take some time, but baby let me tell you, Biloxi is on the fast track to appreciate in value. Why? Because there is a certain set of market indicators that are working together to cause the market to grow. Hurricane Katrina leveled the waterfront community creating opportunities for development, one of the market indicators. The casino market is another, with over 20 casinos slated to be built (12 existing now), Billions of dollars and big brand name companies are moving in for a market share of this valuable emerging market.

Another strong indicator came in the form of a gift from IRS;Tax incentives extended along the Gulf coast from the federal government called the Gulf Opportunity Act better known around these parts as "the GO ZONE", this allows qualified buyers to take a 50% accelerated depreciation on property in the first year of ownership. Consult your tax accountant to verify if you can qualify for this incentive.

With all the people and new jobs coming to this area, affordable housing is the next indicator, the housing commission recently announced that over 100,000 new homes are going to be needed in the market over the next 5 years. Right now there is a shortage of supply but demand is growing.

Airport expansion is another indicator. There is a $51 million dollar airport expansion in Gulfport happening right now, history proves that airport expansions grow a real estate market. Take Ft. Myers for example:in the early 80's that area was a vacant Florida territory, then in 1983, Ft. Myers opened an international airport which caused Ft. Myers to undergo record levels of growth and appreciation. Gulfport expansion will be completed this year. Case in point, look at Panama City Beach, with their new airport expansion, just wait and see the explosion of growth in that city.

Now investors pride themselves in looking for new areas of Real Estate that will appreciate. With all these indicators pointing to the south and Biloxi, its time to get in front of it, its just starting and this market is outstanding one to invest in.

Almost 2 years have passed since Hurricane Katrina, here in Biloxi and the astounding differences are measurable, just today in the Sun Herald,(www.sunherald.com) there is a post-storm report from the Gulf Coast Business Council consisting of 180 business leaders from the three coast counties that spells out all the positives happening here. It is worth reading,especially if you are interested in investing here for the future explosion of growth slated to take place within the next 3-5 years here. The numbers are amazing in fact there isn't any other area along the entire Gulf Coast that will see this kind of growth of new developments in the next 5 years. Billions and billions will be spent. Biloxi really does have it all: Gaming, retail, entertainment, 23 golf courses around the area, new airport expansion, convention centers and pre-construction opportunities. Here's some of the figures it quotes spent on different venues:

$1.7 billion reinvested by casinos

$600 million spent on bridge reconstruction

$42 million on construction of Infinity Science Center

Income growth rates double and triple national averages

Average home sales price of $166,368

Retail sales up 61% over 2004 figures.

300,000 trees to be planted in South MS in the next tree years.

Highway 90 has undergone a tremendous physical change, palm trees planted beautify the mediums, along with dead trees given a new life carved into a pod of dolphins juping, or pelicans flying, carved by a caring soul who wanted to give something to our beachfront community, a number of tourists stop to photograph the amazing artwork. Our white beaches are clean, the water full of life, and kids can play without fear of sharks because of how shallow the Gulf is. Dolphins can be seen chasing bait showers of fish, mullet are jumping, pelicans flying overhead in a neat formation consisting of pelicans playing follow the leader in the sky. Its a sight to behold.

Does that sound right? Surely its not a mecca yet, nor should it be, we cannot compare with Vegas no matter what happens there. We don't want to be Vegas, we want to have our own idenity and charactor. Each one of our coastal towns have a flavor all its own. From Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula, y'all will find pure southern hospitality. Of course Biloxi and the coast is racing towards a Tier One Resort Designation Resort, with all the new businesses, jobs, affordable housing, celebrity restaurants, designer golf courses and the fishing.......

Yes, life is good 2 years after Katrina, more and more tourists are returning finding entertainment by way of concerts, waterparks, beaches, SKA tournaments. At this point however, staying in a casino might not be everyone's cup of tea. Condominiums are here to stay and you can rent for a day, week, month. Some have just the basic amenities, like pools, maybe a spa. Revelay Beach Resort is a project slated to break ground on 10 acres right next to the Mississipii Coast Coliseum and Convention Center and will be completed within 22 months. The list of amenities are impressive. Developed by The Sterling Companies which is headquartered in Destin, FL , has resorts in Panama City Beach and Destin. When they polled their guests and owners about coastal communities that would be of an interest to them, Biloxi kept coming up. Revelay was born, the name is actually a combination of two words: "Revel" and "play" brings to mind the thought about re-birth, growth and fun all rolled into one word-Revelay. Currently at the pre-construction phase, ground breaking is scheduled for the fall of 2007. There is still a good selection of Studios, Suites and Villas that have waterfront views, along with beautiful sunrises and gorgeous sunsets.

Biloxi appeal has always been a productof the people who callthis Southern beacon home. In the past 300 years, Biloxi has blossomed, grown, prospered, weathered storms and through it all, remained a shining example of the strenght of the human spirit.

You will be hearing alot about Biloxi in the next few years. There is a tremendous amount of money pouring in from the business and private sector, especially with the GO ZONE tax incentives. Everyone has heard about the GO ZONE, but most people don't understand if it can work for them, sitting down with their CPA will clear up the confusion. We can provide an FAQ to anyone interested, just email me.

So you may have investors coming to you asking you where can I put my money today, stocks? bonds? Real Estate? Resort properties? Pre-construction? Ok let me start with the last three..........

Real Estate today is slow, we all have seen the headlines, read the blurbs, forecasting gloom and doom, where can a real estate professional make a decent pay today with all the bad news about the housing market, I have a suggestion: Pre-construction resort properties in a growing market (yes there are some). Statistics prove that over 50% of the population will move to the southern United States by the year 2020. Ok, we all know about us babyboomers too, lots of flex cash, kids are in college or perhaps living on their own. Babyboomers are looking for their retirement homes, 2nd homes or tax incentives or just move to somewhere and live in a community that offers the simple life without paying an arm and a leg for it. Maybe its not the right time for some of your clients, they have some money now, want to invest, and are looking to you, their real estate professional to tell them where to go, perhaps buy into a resort and sell in a few years, and 1031 the equitiy and buy up into another market. Tax credits like the GO ZONE Opportunity Act was created for some states to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina& Rita. Biloxi is one of those places. What makes Biloxi special is that it is located right on the edge of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Thats right Mississippi.

The Gulf Coast is the only area left to develop beachside condos. Its just a natural progression. Florida and Alabama have all overbuilt their beachfronts, building on every available piece of sand. Mississippi has 26 miles of man-made beach that cannot be built on unless there was a structure there before the storm, only about 5 miles. The prettiest ride is along Highway 90 looking at the sound, and barrier Islands. Katrina essessionally wiped all the homes and honky-tonk motels off the beachfront. It was devastating, true. But it created opportunities. Buzz words like growth, re-birth and rebuilding are happening here now. New homes, jobs, retail & commerical real estate and condominiums. What is spurring all this commerce? Gaming.........Casinos .............Hotels.............Golf Courses........Celebrity restaurants...............its a machine, and its gaining momentum. In the past two years, major coporations, brand names have re-invested or choose to invest millions and millions of dollars in Biloxi. Names like Harrah's MGM, Pinnacle, all have gaming properties here with hotels and gaming facilities, over 13 casinos, 23 golf courses, airport expansions, convention districts. Whats missing.............? Rooms, places for people, families to stay and enjoy what the growing Gulf Coast has to offer.

Pre-construction opportunites are here. It takes approximately 22 months to build, but if you can get in on a ground floor opportunity of condos being built here, you will have a chance to see your nest egg grow. Before Katrina, there was about 2-5 projects slated to be completed at an average of $300-$400 a square foot. With labor and material, and all that new waterfront for sale, prices have gone up considerably. Now it ranges about $400-$500 a square or higher, and thats for the average room with 2 heads in a bed unit. Resorts with amenities and location that will appease families are few and far between now. It took Destin, FL over 20 years to get where they are now, before it was a sleepy little fishing town. It didn't and still doesn't have gaming. What it does have is pretty blue water and all the water sports you can find. But get in line, you will wait in traffic, restaurants, and it is 1 1/2 hour to the beach from Interstate 10. Biloxi is 5 minutes and isn't called the shrimp capital for nothing. Our water is teaming with life. Our barrier Islands are 12 miles away. Unobstructed views are the norm. It is truly a unique way of life and the secret is out, its a virtual dream for investors. Opportunity is knocking, are you going to help your investors open the door? Let me show you the way............